Lauryn Nwankpa

Lauryn Nwankpa is a social impact strategist, start- up advisor, and entrepreneur. Drawn to impact driven organizations, Lauryn primarily focuses on developing and implementing effective strategies to engage diverse audiences, build sustainable and scalable social impact programs and promote diversity, equity and inclusion practices. Lauryn’s social impact philosophy is grounded in pushing companies beyond traditional conceptions of corporate social responsibility to innovatively embed sustainable, scalable and measurable impact practices company-wide. Lauryn is committed to driving stakeholder value, and increasing access to key resources leading to the empowerment and self-actualization of marginalized communities. Lauryn is currently the Head of Social Impact at Dave, an industry leading disruptor of the traditional banking industry helping millions of members solve immediate financial challenges through interest-free income advances, dynamic budgeting tools and access to gig economy jobs. Prior to joining Dave, Lauryn was Head of Social Impact at Headspace where she worked to ensure Headspace was accessible, relevant and affordable to all. Lauryn established the first ever social impact flagship program, Headspace for Educatorswas a founding member of the diversity, equity and inclusion committee, and deepened Headspace’s role in the greater LA community by hosting and curating community events at the Headspace headquarters in Santa Monica, CA. Lauryn is a member of the Santa Monica Tech Council, is an early stage start-up advisor through the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Bixel Exchange’s Startup LAunch Tech Small Business Development Center, and a scholar mentor (and active alumni) of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. Lauryn’s career began in Baltimore, where she specialized in development, community outreach, and youth enrichment programming. Lauryn then became a social impact film producer specializing in media production in the areas of education, victims’ services, and civil and human rights. Lauryn holds a B.A. in Comparative Human Development from the University of Chicago, and a Master of Science in Social Entrepreneurship from The Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.